Managing Your Prescriptions in College

If you regularly take prescription medications there are several logistical details you need to work out before going off to college, especially if you are going to a school far away from home. It is important that you still have your medications readily available when you need them, especially if you have a chronic condition, like diabetes or asthma.

With a bit of time and energy, you should have no trouble transitioning to adult care. Here are some questions you may need to discuss with your parents and health care provider:

• Will your current doctor continue to refill your prescriptions?
• How do your order prescriptions?
• Who will pick up your prescriptions?
• How will you get to the pharmacy?

Will your current doctor continue to refill your prescriptions?

This depends on how often you plan to come home: once a year is very different from every four months. If your doctor won't refill your prescriptions remotely, ask him or her to recommend a new doctor in your area. Don't forget to ask for a few refills before leaving. If it takes a while to get an appointment with your new doctor, you will be covered in the interim.

Back to top

How do your order prescriptions?

You can order prescriptions by going online to your pharmacy's website or calling the pharmacy directly. Whichever method you take, make sure you have your prescription number ready (you can find it on the bottle).

Some pharmacies will refill your prescriptions automatically each month if you sign up for a program, often called "auto refills." If you don't have your prescription automatically refilled every month, put a note on your calendar (every month), so you don't forget to order your medications.

Back to top

Who will pick up your prescriptions?

If you are far from home, will one of your parents ship your medications to you, will you make the trek to get them, or will you switch pharmacies? If you use anything that needs to be refrigerated, like insulin or the NuvaRing, you may want to pick up your own medications.

In this case, it will be helpful to have a mini-fridge in your room. You can keep your medications in the shared dorm fridge, but there is no guarantee they will still be there in the same condition you left them in. If you leave anything in a shared fridge, label it.
Back to top

How will you get to the pharmacy?

If you have a car and are able to take it to campus, you should have little trouble getting to the pharmacy. Otherwise, you may want to pick your pharmacy based on your school's shuttle or bus schedule. Some schools have a pharmacy on campus or one within walking/biking distance.

This may seem a bit overwhelming at first, but after you have the initial conversations and get into a routine, managing your own prescriptions will be a normal, simple part of your life.

Back to top